Review: Rival

Feb •  3 •  2011

Title: Rival
Series: No
Genre: Young Adult- Contemporary
Author: Sara Bennett Wealer
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Book: ARC sent by publisher

“What if your worst enemy turned out to be the best friend you ever had?
Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.”

This is one heck of a book. From the start, the book, it played on like beautiful music to my ears never letting go. It flowed on and on playing me like a guitar. Brooke and Katheryn were best friends then rivals though a misunderstanding. Will both girls learn to forgive? Or will the music that they play forever ring in their ears.


I loved the writing and the plot of this story. Ms. Wealer not only introduce us to music but she intertwine it with her writing. With each turn of the page, her writing played with the progression of music. She gave us words of music before divulging us on the story. If she said crescendo then the plot went faster and faster. 


I don’t like it much when the story switches from pov to pov. Ms. Wealer did a fantastic job writing both sides without making it confusing or losing any detail. Each side of the story was captured well enough just leaving a few pieces out, enough for the reader to piece together what really happen. It is excellent.


The love for music for both girls was also captured passionately. You saw both of them work hard and struggle for what they wanted. In the end they learned to see whats important. The love interest is adoring. I really wasn’t expecting  much with so much already going on but with the way Ms.Wealer wrote it, it flowed beautifully with everything else. 


If you like music, love, and friendship read this book. I can honestly say the way the book flowed was perfect. The plot, drama, and love is all written well.


I give it 5 BITES!



Happy Reading!


6 Comments

  1. Lovely review! I’m looking forward to this one – I love books where music is incorporated into the story!

  2. Jenny
    Feb 3, 2011

    Sounds like a beautiful book Savy! I’m wary of the ones that switch POVs as well, it usually bothers me unless it’s done well, and it sounds like she does it very well which is nice:) I’ve been curious about this one but haven’t read many reviews. glad you enjoyed it so much!

  3. The Slowest Bookworm
    Feb 3, 2011

    I have to admit that I’ve been drawn to this book since I first saw it by the cover alone. It’s gorgeous. That’s a great review Savvy. I want to read it even more now.

  4. Sara
    Feb 3, 2011

    Thank you so much for the great review, Savy! I’m really honored that you liked the book!

  5. Lisa
    Feb 3, 2011

    Great review. This book sounds very well written with almost a lyrical type style. I think I’ll have to check it out!

  6. Oh I’ve been curious about this one. Looks like it’s one I’m going to have to pick up! Thanks for the great review!